Dr Laura Not Leaving Radio, Moves To Satellite

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What Justifies Bloated Media Matters Budget?







Just two months after claiming what seemed like the first scalp in its ongoing battle in support of talk radio censorship, Media Matters For America happily accepted one million dollars from billionaire lefty activist / global currency killer George Soros.

Whether the removal of Dr Laura Schlessinger from the airwaves and the donation are directly related isn't known, but the rare public disclosure of a key funding source certainly suggested the international financier was pleased with the "progressive" group's sudden "success".

After all, Media Matters has tried for years to directly bring down conservative talk show hosts, without a single victory to show for millions in expenditures. It wages a daily war against Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Mark Levin, Michael Savage and even local hosts in major markets.

CBS directly cites Media Matters as the motivating factor behind Dr Laura's August decision to quit radio:

The liberal watchdog Media Matters for America was a persistent critic. Its leadership didn't accept her apology and sought to encourage advertisers to drop her show. She was reading the Media Matters website when she decided, "that's it, I'm done with this," Schlessinger said.

But that one seeming victory has suddenly been snatched from the win column as Dr Laura has announced she won't be leaving talk radio after all, instead moving from land-based outlets to satellite services. Sirius XM have announced her new program will begin shortly after the old one ends.

From CBC:

Schlessinger announced she would leave the program when her contract was up at year-end, saying she needed a forum where she was free to say what she liked.

"I want to be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart, and what I think is helpful and useful, without somebody getting angry — some special-interest group deciding this is a time to silence a voice of dissent, and attack affiliates and sponsors," she said in August.

Sirius XM Radio announced the multiyear deal with Schlessinger for the Dr. Laura advice program. Financial terms were not disclosed.

CBS and other American outlets have covered the story using the least-flattering image of Schlessinger they could find. But the real anger was of course reserved for Media Matters, which earlier today raged against her "hate":

Dr. Laura set to bring her hate to satellite radio

November 27, 2010 11:43 am ET by Karl Frisch

When we last left Dr. Laura she had announced that she would be ending her nationally syndicated radio show on December 31 due to criticism over the now infamous rant in which she used the N-word 11 times.

There's a broader trend at play, one Media Matters is inadvertently accelerating: satellite radio as a refuge for free speech at the very time when struggling land-based outlets increasingly fear controversy.

Our lefty friends have little to complain about, actually: Sirius XM feature a significant roster of libtalkers, who have all the freedom they'd like to spread hate, vulgarity and bigotry. Rosie O'Donnell remains Exhibit "A", of course.

Once again, this begs the question: what exactly is the point of Media Matters? How is the next liberal billionaire to be reeled in for a mega-donation?